Carter Cites Israel on Civil Rights Abuse : Mideast: The former President says violations help fuel the Palestinian uprising in the occupied territories.

Former President Jimmy Carter today accused Israel of violating the human rights of Palestinians in the occupied territories and said such harsh treatment helps fuel the Palestinian uprising.

Carter, on a three-day visit to Israel as part of a Middle East tour, cited as abuses the Israeli detention of Palestinian activists without trial, house demolitions as punishment and what he termed “excessive use of firearms” against Arab demonstrators.

“What we are talking about is an authoritative government that is in charge that is depriving the people under its control of their basic human rights,” Carter told reporters.

He added: “I think the intifada is being perpetuated partially by the abuse of the Palestinians.”

Intifada is the Arabic word used by Palestinians for their 27-month revolt against Israeli rule in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Israel captured the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan and the Gaza Strip from Egypt in the 1967 Middle East War. Israel annexed East Jerusalem as part of its capital and rules the territories through a military government.

Israeli soldiers or civilians have killed 665 Palestinians since the uprising began in December, 1987. An additional 198 Palestinians have been killed by fellow Arabs, most on suspicion of collaborating with Israeli authorities. Forty-three Israelis have died in the violence.

Carter made his comments to reporters after a half-hour meeting with the board of the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories. The group, founded by liberal Israeli politicians and academics, monitors activities in the territories.

Carter cited figures from the Israeli center indicating that “almost one in four, 25%, of all the adult males among the Palestinians have been arrested” at one time or another since the uprising began.

He was also critical of Israel’s “administrative detention” procedures, which allow the jailing of Palestinians without charges or trial for up to a year.

Israel has said force is necessary to put down Palestinian violence and that actions such as detentions and house demolitions deter anti-Israeli activities.

Meanwhile, President Chaim Herzog met leaders of parliamentary factions to determine which of the major parties, Shimon Peres’ Labor or the Likud bloc of Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, has enough support to form a new coalition. All Labor ministers quit the unity government with Likud last week after Shamir fired Peres after differences over proposed peace talks with Palestinians in Cairo.